killer whale
noun
: a relatively small toothed whale (Orcinus orca of the family Delphinidae) that is black above with white underparts and white oval-shaped patches behind the eyes, attains a length of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters), typically hunts in groups, and preys chiefly on sea mammals (such as seals, sea lions, and other whales), large fish, and squid
called also orca
Examples of killer whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Billy and Tina are not the first giant mammals removed from L.A. under cover of darkness
In 1987, Marineland of the Pacific, a theme park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, trucked two killer whales, Corky and Orky, to SeaWorld in San Diego in the middle of the night under police escort.
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Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
That could include chemical-intensive lab work like testing sea lions, killer whales, and walruses from Alaska for environmental contaminants, Tolimieri said.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
Whales are also everywhere, and travelers might see killer whales, humpbacks, fins, and blue whales.
—Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Population growth is limited by nutritional impacts on pregnancy success in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Science News.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer whale
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Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
That could include chemical-intensive lab work like testing sea lions, killer whales, and walruses from Alaska for environmental contaminants, Tolimieri said.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
Whales are also everywhere, and travelers might see killer whales, humpbacks, fins, and blue whales.
—Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Population growth is limited by nutritional impacts on pregnancy success in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Science News.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer whale
Cite this Entry
“Killer whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer%20whale. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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